


even in the quiet (our hearts are the only sound),

by Raging_Nerd



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Childhood, F/M, Fluff, Good Brother Ben Hargreeves, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, LITERALLY, Libraries, POV Vanya Hargreeves, Reading, Tickle Fights, Vanya Hargreeves Needs A Hug, i love these two
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-10-06 06:49:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20502677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raging_Nerd/pseuds/Raging_Nerd
Summary: “You’re ticklish!” He muses, continuing his faint administrations to behind her knee.“N-no,” she stutters, pushing his hand away, and he laughs. The book falls out of his lap as he shifts to tickle her sides, and she squirms in the alcove in an attempt to hide her giggles. They had to be quiet, and he wasn’t helping.Vanya uses her foot to jab at him, and he twitches. She takes it as a victory. Seems like Number Six has his own tickle spot. She hides her smile with her hand as she continues, not taking the warning slaps to her ankle seriously until he pulls her down.or,Ben and Vanya read in one of the library's many alcoves.





	even in the quiet (our hearts are the only sound),

**Author's Note:**

> I need more Benya in my life.
> 
> Please enjoy it!

As children, Vanya and Ben did many things. These escapades included Five, but after he vanished, their little trio started to fall apart. It was understood. They were kind of estranged, as Vanya only became friends with Ben because of their brother.

But then he brought a cookie to her room when she was sick, and read to her for hours. And soon enough, they were wrapped around each other’s fingers.

Today was a free day, and the two sixteen year olds spent it huddled in the library, flush against each other as they read a silly novel in one of the alcoves.

Vanya laughs quietly at something her brother says, ignoring the heat of his hand from where it rests on her knee. As their relationship began to blossom, Vanya began to notice…  _ things _ about Ben she didn’t see before. Like how he would chew on his cheek when he was nervous, or how his smile seemed to pull on every muscle in his face, or how embarrassed he became when he received a rather lovely message in the fanmail, or how his eyelashes brushed his cheeks when he looked down on her, or how his lips --

She huffs internally, staring at his profile as he reads to her, and she suppressed a sigh when he begins to rub small circles behind her knee. Ben looks up at her, no longer reading, but looking at her reaction as he does it again. She snorts, swatting at his hand and he smiles. “You’re ticklish!” He muses, continuing his faint administrations to behind her knee.

“N-no,” she stutters, pushing his hand away, and he laughs. The book falls out of his lap as he shifts to tickle her sides, and she squirms in the alcove in an attempt to hide her giggles. They had to be quiet, and he wasn’t helping.

Vanya uses her foot to jab at him, and he twitches. She takes it as a victory. Seems like Number Six has his own tickle spot. She hides her smile with her hand as she continues, not taking the warning slaps to her ankle seriously until he pulls her down.

Her back slides against the hardwood floor, and her legs are parted around her brother’s frame. The alcove wasn’t this small… It never  _ was _ this small… Was it always this small? It feels a lot smaller now.

Ben is looking down on her, a searing pink flush coating his cheeks. Her hands are resting uselessly on her stomach, and she swallows as she stares up at him. Then she notices the small constellation of freckles underneath his right eye, and that was definitely something she didn’t notice before, and  _ why was he this close!? _

His hands remain unmoving from their place under her knees, and the book has long since been discarded. She stares. He stares. They stare and stare, and Vanya can’t take it anymore.

She clears her throat, pulling her legs out of her brother’s grasp to sit up properly. “Sorry about that,” she giggles, and Ben smiles, picking up the novel again. He brushes his hair out of his eyes -- and,  _ oh, _ it’s getting too long again; Sir would hate to see it -- looking up at her from underneath equally black eyelashes.

Vanya nods and they begin to read, but none of them could focus on the book, because his touch on her leg is too hot, and her hair falling onto his shoulder is just as bad, and  _ they _ are too much for each other, and soon brown eyes meet honey, and her gaze drops to the constellation again, and her hand reaches --  _ it reaches; _ \-- thumb barely grazing his cheek, and he sighs, leaning into her palm.

His eyes flutter shut and his too-long eyelashes brush his cheeks, covering them like a blanket. She uses her thumb to rub circles under his eyes, and he closes the novel over his fingers. The alcove is quiet, but so are they, lost to each other, and suddenly Vanya doesn't know what she wants.

He opens his eyes slowly, taking her face in his free hand. She doesn't remove her own, but allows it to slow, circles coming to a slow halt as he leans in, in,  _ in! _

And then his lips were on hers, and they’re just as soft as she imagined. She locks her hand in his hair, holding the other to her chest as if it were an anchor. His lips are chapped, but it’s probably because of all the biting, and the kiss is sloppy and rushed, but they were inexperienced and young, and it felt so right because it was him, and she felt  _ different. _

They jump apart when the sounds of voices in the library flood through their ears, and Vanya identifies them as Allison and Luther. Ben gags, pointing at his tongue, and Vanya smiles, hiding a muffled laugh behind her hand.

All in all, she and her brother would be fine. She had him and he had her, she thinks, leaning over his shoulder to hear his whispered words. And whatever this was between them would be just fine too, because they were themselves, and honestly, Vanya would have never chosen anyone else to venture into the unknown with.

Because many of their escapades included Five, but this one was theirs.

And theirs alone.

**FIN**

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!! <33
> 
> Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated!


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